Have your say on Eyre Peninsula’s telecommunications

28 Jul 2018

Regional Development Australia Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula (RDAWEP) is inviting community members to have their say on Eyre Peninsula’s telecommunications services.

RDAWEP is conducting the survey to discover how people across Eyre Peninsula use telecommunications services and would also like to understand any barriers to using digital technologies faced by people in Eyre Peninsula communities to try to find a solution to the problem.

RDAWEP said telecommunications services were vital to business, education, health, social and safety activities in the modern world and those without functional and reliable telecommunications services risked being left out.

Plenty of life yet in 4G, telcos say

27 Jul 2018

Although Australia’s mobile network operators are gearing up for the launch of services based on the next-generation 5G standard, they are continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible with 4G.

Telstra and Optus have both indicated they plan to launch their first 5G-based services in 2019, and Vodafone has conducted trials of 5G technology. TPG, which is set to launch its own network in the second half of this year, has indicated that its mobile infrastructure will potentially underpin 5G services.

Kangaroo Valley residents pay $120,000 for their own broadband network

27 Jul 2018

A community fed up with poor internet will soon have a solution, and it’s all thanks to a crowd funding campaign.

Kangaroo Valley residents have struggled with poor internet connections for many years, and according John Sinclair, who runs an internet service provider, the NBN caused more harm than good in the village.

The solution to a community frustrated with bad internet connections seemed simple to Mr Sinclair- build a broadband network specifically for Kangaroo Valley residents.

New mobile phone tower turned on at Oakdene, south of Dubbo

27 Jul 2018

A new mobile phone tower has been switched on at Oakdene, south of Dubbo, boosting 4G coverage to the the area around Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

The tower, owned by Vodafone, delivers about 53 square kilometres of new 4G coverage to the world famous zoo as well as Oakdene, Cumboogle, Butlers Falls and Eschol. It also adds new Vodafone 4G coverage along parts of the Newell and Mitchell Highways.

Built under the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program, the tower will now give customers access to continuous 4G connectivity between Oakdene and Dubbo and extends coverage along Obley Road and Benolong Road.

Local ISP reveals plans to Tesltra to improve connectivity in Grabben Gullen

27 Jul 2018

An internet service provider has logged on to the Upper Lachlan in a bid to improve web connectivity.

Periphery NET founder and strategic architect Martin Welsby has sent a proposal to Telstra detailing a plan to improve communication services in Grabben Gullen and the area. Mr Welsby acted after attending the recent Grabben Gullen meeting on internet connectivity.

With support from Telstra, Periphery NET could use “microPoPs”, an additional antenna for internet users to access the Periphery network. MicroPoPs can cover a 10 kilometre radius and take about 10 concurrent subscribers. “NanoPoP” technology – which covers one to five kilometres – was also flagged to overcome rural blackspots. MicroPoPs (under $5000) and nanoPoPs (under $1000) could be installed relatively easily if there was co-operation between Telstra and Periphery NET.

NBN take up 'hard to achieve', according to S&P

The NBN Co’s forecasted take-up of the national broadband network (NBN) will be hard to achieve without a change to its wholesale pricing model, according to new findings.

The broadband provider forecast a market take up of about 73 to 75 per cent by 2021, as it faces challenges from advanced mobile technologies, such as 5G.

Credit ratings agency, Standard And Poors (S&P) Global Ratings, indicated that any shortfall in NBN Co’s revenue target raises the prospect of a 'write-down' and additional government funding to support the company, potentially through debt relief or direct subsidies.

Iridium nears completion of NEXT satellite network

Satellite operator Iridium has successfully launched 10 of its NEXT satellites to low earth orbit (LEO) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The launch on Tuesday was the seventh of eight launches planned for the Iridium NEXT constellation, replacing the company’s existing 66 satellite network.

Iririum says only one more launch of 10 satellites remains until the Iridium NEXT network is completed, “ushering in a new era of capabilities” like its Certus broadband service and Aireon real-time aircraft surveillance system.

Completion of the NEXT will spark what Iridium says is both a technological and financial transformation for the company, while providing its partner ecosystem with an “unrivaled industry platform” for innovation.